A Japanese-Speaking Galran-Korean-Texan
by Glasz Wingsz
Summary: Lance learns something new about Keith (that probably everyone already knew).


"How are you Korean?"

That was Lance. There's a possibility that he's been talking for longer than Keith's been listening.

"What are you blabbering on about this time?" Keith sighs, sounding (and feeling) exasperated (and he's only one sentence into the conversation).

"I mean, I thought you were from Texas, but Shiro says you are Korean.

"And then you were talking Japanese the other day".

Lance sounds wholly done with this conversation, but he's the one who brought it all up.

Keith decides to humour him. There's not much Lance can do with the information, and Keith's been learning how to share his thoughts and how the rest of the Paladins actually seem interested in what he has to say.

"I was born in Korea. I think".

"How can you "think" you were born somewhere?" Lance mimes quotation marks when he emphasises the think.

"I just...that's what my dad told me. I don't really remember it".

Keith almost stops there, but then because he's been practicing sharing, he makes himself continue.

"We must have moved when I was really young. I remember going to school and not knowing a lot of English, so I must have been born out of the states".

"So you can speak Korean? Say something in Korean!" Lance is getting excited, like a kid putting puzzle pieces together to make a picture.

"Something in Korean," Keith quips dryly, smirking at Lance's immediate pout.

"Har har, so funny, you know that's not what I meant".

"I can't. I don't remember any of it".

"What do you mean you don't remember any of it! My family always speaks Spanish, and I still remember it, even though I have to use English around you guys".

"I haven't spoke Korean since I was a kid. I don't remember any of it".

"Why not?" Lance is nearly whining now, seemingly upset that he can't seem to prove Keith's Korean-ness.

"The first family I was with - after my dad died - they didn't like me speaking it. I knew some English, but they said I wasn't allowed to speak Korean... they used to not give me food till I asked in English".

Keith wants to curl up and hide his face in his knees at the look Lance gives him. He didn't tell Lance so he would pity him; the things that happened to him in his past are just that; in the past and nothing more than facts that he's fairly emotionally detached from by now.

"The kids at school used to tease me about it, but back then, I didn't know what they were calling me. I learnt English pretty quick. And I made sure I never spoke my native tongue. So yeah, I guess it just goes away after a while".

"Wow...Keith, that's terrible," Lance is looking at him like he's a puppy left out in the rain. "I can't believe they did that to you. I wish I could help you get your language back".

"It's okay, I don't really miss it and it's not like I could use it with you guys anyway".

Keith is telling the truth. There's no use for him being able to speak Korean, and he doesn't feel particularly nostalgic about it. When his father moved them to America, Keith was too young to feel attached to his home country.

"Still," Lance hesitates, but then rouses himself and brightens up. "But you can speak Japanese, right? How'd that happen?"

Keith's mind flashes back to a memory, all smeared edges and soft colours. Of a young Asian boy with a floofy forelock of midnight darn hair and gentle, grey eyes. And an older man and woman, both with the same kind eyes, holding out their arms to him, welcoming him. Welcoming him into their home. "Okaerinasai". All three of them had spoken the word to him. He hadn't known what it meant, but it sounded nice and it made him feel warm inside.

"Shiro is Japanese. His family adopted me when I was ten. They spoke English to me, but I wanted to learn their language. So Shiro taught me".

"Wait wait wait wait...Shiro's your brother!?"

"Adopted brother, yeah". Keith thought this was already common knowledge, but apparently not. Could just be Lance, though.

"Still! How could you guys not share something like this!?Oh my god! THis is big! Wait till I tell the others!"

Keith lets Lance have his moment. He's gotten used to the Cuban teen's outbursts and learnt it's easier to just let him have them than try to interrupt.

Shortly (shorter than Keith was expecting), Lance calms himself down.

"So, let me get this straight," he kind of mumbles, thumb and pointer finger raised into a classic thinking pose. "You were born in Korea, making you Korean, then moved to America and raised in Texas. Then later on, you were adopted by Shiro's family and that's how you speak Japanese".

"Yep".

"Oh wait wait, don't forget that you're also half or something alien".

"Oh, how could I ever forget that," Keith quips again, already smirking before Lance can summon up an appropriate facial reaction.

Lance seems stumped for a moment, but then catches sight of Keith's upturned lips and his face quickly morphs into an unimpressed glare before just as quickly sliding into a sly grin.

"I think Hunk is right, Galra Keith is so much more chill than normal Keith," he glibbly comments. "Say something in Japanese".

It's Keith turn to glare unimpressed. Honestly though, he likes this. He likes this camaraderie he's starting to develop with the team and this feeling of inclusiveness that he's never had before except with Shiro.

He lets himself sink into the feeling, like imagining he's sinking into a big, fluffy pillow pile, being surrounded in softness.

"Nanika [something]," he taunts.

"Was that a word? Was that my name? Say something else".

"Watashi no raion ga saikodesu [my lion is the best]," he replies with another smirk.

"That's so cool, what'd you say?".

"Go ask Shiro".

"What? Well, say it again - slowly - so I can remember it," Lance whines, but he leans forward to listen intently as Keith repeats the sentence.  
"Ok, ok, I gotta find Shiro, but it was good talking, buddy".

And then he's off, leaving Keith to relax back into the cushions, a giddy smile on his face as he waits for Lance's indignant scream when he learns what Keith said.


End file.
